..續本文上一頁這第一聖谛，是極爲重要的。因爲佛說：“凡是真正見到苦的，也必見到苦的生起，也必見到苦的止息，也必見到導致苦的止息之道。”﹝注叁十﹞

　　This does not at all make the life of a Buddhist melancholy or sorrowful, as some people wrongly imagine. On the contrary, a true Buddhist is the happiest of beings. He has no fears or anxieties. He is always calm and serene, and cannot be upset or dismayed by changes or calamities, because he sees things as they are. The Buddha was never melancholy or gloomy. He was described by his contemporaries as ”ever-smiling” (mihitapubbamgama). In Buddhist painting and sculpture the Buddha is always represented with a countenance happy, serene, contented and compassionate. Never a trace of suffering or agony or pain is to be seen. [29] Buddhist art and architecture, Buddhist temples never give the impression of gloom or sorrow, but produce an atmosphere of calm and serene joy.

　　有些人以爲這將使得佛教徒的生活憂郁而悲哀。這是錯誤的想像。其實絲毫不然。相反的，真正的佛教徒，是個最開心不過的人。他既無畏怖，也沒有煩愁。他是甯靜安詳，不爲災變所惱亂沮喪，因爲他能如實洞見一切事物。從不抑郁不樂。與佛同時的人，將他描述爲“經常微笑著。”在佛教的繪畫與塑像裏，佛的容顔，永遠是快樂、甯靜、滿足而慈悲的，決看不到有一絲受難或痛苦的痕迹。﹝注叁十一﹞佛教藝術和建築，佛教的寺院，從來不曾予人以陰森苦惱的印象，只有産生甯靜安詳的喜悅氣氛。

　　Although there is suffering in life, a Buddhist should not be gloomy over it, should not be angry or impatient at it. One of the principal evils in life, according to Buddhism, is ”repugnance” or hatred. Repugnance (pratigha) is explained as ”ill-will with regard to living beings, with regard to suffering and with regard to things pertaining to suffering. Its function is to produce a basis for unhappy states and bad conduct.” [30] Thus it is wrong to be impatient at suffering. Being impatient or angry at suffering does not remove it. On the contrary, it adds a little more to one”s trouble, and aggravates and exacerbates a situation already disagreeable. What is necessary is not anger or impatience, but the understanding of the question of suffering, how it comes about, and how to get rid of it, and then to work accordingly with patience, intelligence, determination and energy.

　　雖然世間有苦難，佛教徒卻不該因之而郁郁寡歡，也不應爲它生嗔而失去耐性。照佛教的說法，嗔或恨是人生首惡之一。嗔是“對衆生、苦難或與苦難有關的事物起不善欲。”它的功能，是爲不快的心境及不良的行爲奠下基礎。﹝注叁十二﹞因此，不能忍受苦難是錯的。對苦難不耐煩或生恨，並不能蠲除苦難。反之，它只有更替你增加困擾，而使得不順利的逆境更趨惡化與可惱。對苦難問題必須要有了解，不該對它憤怒不耐。要明白它如何生起？如何消除？然後以堅忍、睿智、決心與精進依法實行，以袪除它。

　　There are two ancient Buddhist texts called the Therigāthā which are full of the joyful utterances of the Buddha”s disciples, both male and female, who found peace and happiness in life through his teaching. The king of Kosala once told the Buddha that unlike many a disciple of other religious systems who looked haggard, coarse, pale, emaciated and unprepossessing, his disciples were ”joyful and elated (hattha-pahattha), jubilant and exultant (udaggudagga), enjoying the spiritual life (abhiratarūpa), with faculties pleased (pinitindriya), free from anxiety (appossukka) serene (pannaloma), peaceful (paradavutta) and living with a gazelle”s mind (migabhūtena cetasā), i.e., light-hearted.” The king added that he believed that this healthy disposition was due to the fact that ”these venerable ones had certainly realized the great and full significance of the Blessed One”s teaching.” [31]

　　有兩部古老的佛典叫做《長老歌》與《長老尼歌》，其中充滿了男女佛弟子的快樂心聲；他們在佛的教誡中，找到了人生的平安與快樂。憍薩羅國的國王，有一次告訴佛說，佛的弟子們全不像其它宗教的信徒那樣形容枯槁、粗劣蒼白、消瘦孱弱、神情猥瑣。佛的弟子們“歡欣鼓舞、意志昂揚、諸根怡悅、無所憂怖、甯靜和平、心情愉快一如瞪羚，享受著精神生活的快樂。”國王又說，他相信這種健全的氣質是因爲“這些可敬的人，一定都已親身證道世尊所說法的重大而圓滿的意義。”﹝注叁十叁﹞

　　Buddhism is quite opposed to be melancholic, sorrowful, penitent and gloomy attitude of mind which is considered a hindrance to the realization of Truth. On the other hand, it is interesting to remember here that joy (piti) is one of the seven be cultivated for the realization of Nirvānā. [32]

　　佛教最反對愁慘、苦惱、悔罪、郁悶等心理狀態，認爲這些都是體證真理的障礙。在另一方面，尤須記得“喜”是七覺支之一，爲證見涅槃所必須培養的一種主要德性。﹝注叁十四﹞

　　[1] Dhammacakkappavattana-sutta ”Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth”. Mhvg. (Alutgama, 1922), p. 9 ff; S V …

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